Vampires, beware. Roasted garlic is nearly impossible to resist at this time of year, whether it appears as a toast topper or an enhancement to fluffy mashed potatoes. Roasting takes pungent and spicy garlic cloves and mellows them into a soft and buttery spread. Embrace this fundamental cooking component with five of our favorites.

1. The mother of all garlicky indulgences, garlic bread (pictured above) tops our list. The crunch of the crusty bread paired with the creamy roasted garlic makes it the ideal pairing for soups and stews.